Travel Information

Travel Registry

As of March 31st, 2022, the Minerva Travel Registry has been replaced by the McGill Student Travel Registry. To learn more about the new tool, its features and registration process, please login to the student or staff section of the McGill Student Travel Registry.

McGill Student Travel Registry is the official safety app for McGill students travelling outside of the Greater Montreal area on university-related travel activities. The app allows McGill to keep a record of your travel dates and study destinations and to reach students in case the situation in the location they are visiting changes.  All students travelling on a university-related activity must register their travel through the app. You will receive alerts and check-in requests from McGill Abroad, via the app as well as your McGill email, in case the Government of Canada issues an “Avoid-Non-Essential Travel” or “Advise All Travel” advisory for your university-related travel destination.

For more information, consult the McGill Abroad website.

Additionally, all interns are required to register with the foreign office of their country of citizenship before leaving Canada. Canadian students can register online here.

Travel bans

McGill encourages students to include an international educational experience as part of their studies. However, the University will not approve student travel to all countries or regions of countries, as the safety of students is of primary importance.

In planning a University-related international travel activity, staff members and students are to consider the nature of the activity, the associated risks, and the location, specifically consulting travel warnings and reports issued by Global Affairs Canada (GAC). A travel warning is official advice concerning travel to a country or specific regions of a country, based on an overall assessment of the security risk and expressed in terms of the following four levels:

  1. Exercise normal security precautions

  2. Exercise high degree of caution

  3. Avoid non-essential travel

  4. Avoid all travel

University-related activity will not be approved in locations for which GAC has issued an "avoid non-essential travel" or "avoid all travel" advisory. University-related courses, conferences, and other activities undertaken in these locations will not receive McGill credit or recognition.

Please note:

  • If a Travel Advisory is in place recommending to avoid all travel OR avoid non-essential travel at the time of application the internships in that country will be rejected;
  • If a Travel Advisory is in place restricting travel at the time of deployment, internships in that country will be cancelled.

Pre-Departure Orientation

Pre-departure orientation covers practical information related to pre-departure preparations, your time abroad, and your return to McGill. The sessions, which were previously delivered in person, are now offered entirely online via MyCourses! This orientation remains mandatory for all students* who are traveling outside of Canada for University-related international activities, including internships (applying for academic credit, a Faculty of Arts internship, award, or recognition on Co- Curricular Record).

Consult McGill Abroad page for more information on pre-departure orientation.

You can only download a copy of the Certificate of Completion for your records while you are enrolled in the Pre-Departure Orientation course. At the end of the course access period, you will be unenrolled from the course and no longer able to download the certificate. For questions related to Pre-Departure Orientation and the Certificate of Completion, please contact safetyabroad [at] mcgill.ca

Responsibilities

Sessions to attend:

Interns Responsibilities and Guidelines

This session focuses on intern's responsibilities and highlights the guidelines associated with your internship activity. This is a mandatory session for all students currently applying for internship or award opportunities with the Internship Offices Network.

Post-internship debriefing

All interns are required to participate in one of the debriefing sessions hosted by the Internship Offices Network following the completion of their internship.

The session is an opportunity to reflect on your internship experience, provide feedback and look at next steps. Through discussion, you will find strategies to apply the skills gained during internships to your academic pursuits and future professional growth.

Visas and work permits

All students

Interns are responsible for informing themselves about appropriate entry and work requirements for their host country. Students must acquire proper travel visas and work permits where applicable. Country specific requirements can be found here..

It is important that students begin this process early, as for many countries, it can take some time.

International students with internships in Canada

International students require a Co-op/internship work permit if they are completing a mandatory internship (paid or unpaid) in Canada. For more information on mandatory internships, students should see McGill’s International Student Services. For more information on non-mandatory internships, students should see McGill's International Student Services.

Canadian Citizens interning outside of Canada

If you’re a Canadian citizen aged 18-35, International Experience Canada (IEC) offers you the opportunity to work and travel in any of IEC’s over 30 partner countries by facilitating work permits (in other words, the immigration document you need to work abroad). Click here for more information.

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